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Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins Week 15 NFL Lines & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

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The Eagles once again face a must-win situation when they take on NFC East-rival Washington this week and they may be catching the Redskins at just the right time. Since jumping out to a 6-2 start, the Skins have dropped five of their last six games. Since a terrible 36-7 loss to Baltimore in a game where starting QB Donovan McNabb was benched, the Eagles have responded to win three straight to keep their playoff hopes alive. While it could end up being too little too late, odds makers feel Philly will stay in the hunt, listing the Eagles as 5-point favorites with the total set at 39.5.

If Philly is going to keep its playoff hopes alive this week, it will have to avenge an earlier season loss to the Redskins. Washington beat the Eagles in Philadelphia 23-17 back on October 5th as a 6.5-point underdog. It would appear that the Eagles are in good position to do so. They have won three straight, two by blowout and one over the NFC East-leading New York Giants, while the Redskins have lost three straight, including a disheartening defeat to the lowly Bengals last week.

While Philly fans are not happy that their team is fighting for its life right now, Philly NFL betting backers have to be quite pleased with the way the season has gone. The Eagles have beaten the NFL odds in 9 of 14 games this season. It has been best to steer clear of them in division play, however. The Eagles are only 1-3 against the NFC East and 2-2 against the number in those games.

Health is a big reason why the Eagles have started to play their best football of the season. Running back Brian Westbrook is back to being an all-purpose threat and QB Donovan McNabb has been on fire. McNabb threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles Monday Night Football win over the Browns, but it has been head coach Andy Reid’s willingness to run the football more that has really spurred on the change. If you like Philly to keep right on rolling this week, bet the Eagles at -5 at BetUS.

Making NFL picks on the Washington Redskins has not treated bettors well this season. The Skins are only 5-8 against the number in 2008 and a poor 2-5 against the spread at home. Those who have not pulled the plug on playing the Skins have really taken a beating lately as Washington is 0-5-1 against the number in its last six games. The Skins do have a couple things going for them this week, however. First of all, they have an extra day of preparation on the Eagles which played on Monday Night Football. Secondly, they have already beaten Philadelphia once this season. In that game, Washington used its ground attack to perfection, gaining 203 rushing yards on the Philadelphia defense. While running back Clinton Portis has been one of the best backs in football this season, he has not been himself lately. And it hasn’t helped that the Redskins are missing left tackle Chris Samuels for the rest of the season. Washington must get it going on the ground again to have a shot this week. More than anything, the running game helps QB Jason Campbell perform at his best. He’s not the type of passer who can change a game on his own yet, but he can be effective if the run is keeping the defense off balance. If you think Washington can pull it together this week, bet the Redskins at +5 at BetUS.

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